Nameless (Sinister Secrets Book 1)

by Candle Sutton

  She gestured between Esterson and herself. “I think she needs our help. Both of us.”

  “Then why ain’t you doin’ nothin’ ‘bout it!” The words exploded from Esterson as the gun twitched violently in his hand.

  Deescalate. If she didn’t bring this down, now, someone was going to get shot.

  She pasted on a smile that was as fake as the name she’d told him to call her. “We have people working on that right now. But see, the thing is that we need him.” She nodded her head toward the agent on the floor.

  “I told you I ain’t lettin’ him go!” Tremors shook the words, matching the ones vibrating down Esterson’s arms. “Not ‘til you bring my little girl home.”

  This wasn’t working. Sure, he was talking, but as agitated as he was it’d take time to talk him down.

  And she suspected the agents outside, and likely the SWAT team they had en route, wouldn’t give her that kind of time.

  There was still one other method, aside from a direct assault, that she hadn’t tried.

  She closed her eyes briefly and conjured up memories of her mother. The cancer. The chemo. The decline.

  Tears burned behind her lids. Forcing her eyes open, she allowed a few tears to trail down her cheeks. “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you. How it must feel to have your daughter out there somewhere.”

  The shaking in his limbs increased, only this time it wasn’t from anger.

  Color drained from his cheeks and he swallowed repeatedly. “I let her down.”

  Kevyn slowly swiped at the tears tickling down her cheeks and took another step forward. “No. You couldn’t know this would happen.”

  “I shoulda been there.”

  Another small step forward. “Help me. Let’s find her together. All you have to do is give me the gun.”

  He looked down at the weapon as though seeing it for the first time. “I ain’t stupid. Ain’t no comin’ back from this.”

  Lying to him would only insult his intelligence. “No, but you can keep things from getting any worse.”

  He stared at her, resignation drawn on his face. His gaze shifted to the redheaded agent, then out the cabin window toward the dock, before finally resting back on the gun in his hand.

  Keeping her breathing steady and even was nearly impossible, but she tried. Her muscles tightened. She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, ready.

  “Tell my girl I love her.”

  Finality rang in the words.

  She knew what was coming even before his gun hand rose, before the weapon swiveled toward his head.

  “No!”

  She launched herself at him, her shoulder connecting with something solid, her hand encircling his wrist.

  A loud bang shattered the cabin air, the blast reverberating inside her head.

  Two

  A gunshot exploded the cabin window.

  Dak jerked toward the noise.

  From his angle, he could see a small portion of the inside ceiling of the cabin. Nothing more.

  No sign of Esterson, Sid, or Emily.

  Tension radiated off the SWAT team crouched only feet from his location. He met the SWAT team leader’s gaze and gave a single nod.

  Shields raised, the group rushed toward the dock.

  He fell into step behind the last guy, hoping their shields would work for him as well. Just in case Esterson was still alive and decided to take a few shots at them.

  Breath puffed out in short little bursts, the breathlessness having little to do with the exertion of running toward the boat.

  What would he find on board?

  Had anyone been shot?

  They reached the gangplank and scurried up, the walkway bouncing beneath their feet.

  Was Sid okay? Lord, please let Sid be okay.

  He hoped Emily was, too, but if she wasn’t it was her own fault. Running in like she owned the place. What was she thinking?

  Part of him wanted to wring her neck.

  He’d settle for reporting her actions. Assuming she’d survived.

  The SWAT team leader reached the cabin door first, which stood open.

  From his position at the back of the pack, Dak saw the SWAT leader sweep his gun side-to-side before slowly lowering his weapon.

  “Target secured.”

  Secured. Not down.

  Did that mean no one had been shot?

  Not necessarily. SWAT was primarily concerned with hostile forces.

  He was concerned for his agent.

  SWAT entered the cabin, most of the officers scurrying below deck.

  Dak followed the last SWAT officer inside. His gaze locked with Sid’s.

  A storm brewed in those dark blue eyes. Duct tape covered Sid’s lips, probably the only thing keeping him from lashing them all with the fake Scottish brogue he often used to diffuse tension.

  Sobbing drew his attention to the right.

  Near the helm, Emily knelt beside Esterson, whose hands were cuffed behind his back. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he stared at Emily.

  “Thought you was on my side.” Esterson’s words came out on a whine.

  “I am. Which is why I couldn’t let you shoot yourself.”

  Shoot himself? Dak stared at the two of them. What the heck had he missed?

  The answer would have to wait.

  “Anyone hurt?” A rough edge hardened his words.

  “No.” Emily nodded toward an old Smith and Wesson resting on the floor by the far wall. “Weapon’s over there.”

  Below deck, he could hear shouts of “clear.”

  Tension slowly bled from him.

  Everyone was walking away. It could’ve ended very differently, but by the grace of God, they were all alive and unharmed.

  Thanks, God.

  He strode across the floorboards to Sid and gently worked the tape free from Sid’s mouth.

  With a grimace, Sid worked his jaw. “Took you long enough.”

  “Hey, didn’t see you helping.” Dak grinned as he nodded at Sid’s cuffs. “And getting cuffed with your own gear? That’s low, man.”

  Sid scowled. “Think we can keep it on the down low? Don’t need this making the rounds at the office.”

  “I don’t know. Might earn you a cool nickname.” Inserting his universal handcuff key, Dak sprung the lock and removed the bracelets.

  “Yeah, I can hear it now. Shackle Sid. Or Manacle McInnis.” Sid’s lips twitched as he fought the beginning of a grin.

  Nothing kept Sid down for long. Evidently not even getting conked on the head and handcuffed with his own cuffs.

  He was probably simply glad to be alive.

  While Sid flexed his fingers and rolled his wrists, Dak worked at the knot on the thick rope Esterson had used to secure Sid’s feet.

  Above the pounding of SWAT boots, he heard Emily’s voice, murmuring indecipherably to Esterson.

  “Who’s that?” Sid dropped his voice, his attention moving beyond Dak.

  The knot slowly loosened. “Emily. I guess she’s a negotiator.” Although, now that he thought about it, she hadn’t exactly identified herself as such. “SAC Sorenson sent her.”

  “You shoulda seen that takedown. She’s got some moves.” Sid pushed to his feet, finger-combing his short red beard. He rolled his head side-to-side, making his neck pop, then tried to brush off the dirt smudged across his pants.

  Oh boy. Dak had seen this look too many times to count.

  Pretty much every time an attractive woman entered the room.

  The FBI SWAT commander approached, thumbs looped in the straps on his vest. “We’re clear. You want us to take the suspect back to headquarters?”

  Dak nodded. “That’d be great. Give us a chance to finish up here.”

  The Evidence Response Team, or ERT, should be on the way. Once they arrived, he and his team could clear out, but until then, they needed to preserve the scene.

  As the SWAT team vacated, towing the prisoner along with them, Dak turned
his attention to the blonde that Sid had hardly taken his gaze off since being freed.

  Sid sauntered over to Emily, who watched as Esterson was led onto the deck, and bowed with a flourish. “My hero. Emily, is it?”

  A faint flush shot up her neck and rested in her cheeks. The smile that curled her lips didn’t quite reach her eyes, which looked tired. “Actually, no. That’s what I told Esterson to connect with him. Agent Taylor.”

  Taylor. Why did that sound familiar?

  Sid arched an eyebrow. “Taylor? As in the Taylor joining our unit?”

  “One and the same.”

  That’s right. Dak remembered Sid texting him a few days ago that a new agent was joining the team. Although he could’ve sworn the text had said the agent was a guy. Ken? Kevin? Something like that?

  From the look on Sid’s face, he obviously had expected someone else, too. “Huh. Must’ve been a communication thing. We were told to expect some dude named Kevin.”

  Now she laughed, a rich sound that seemed to come from deep inside her. “Agent Kevyn Taylor, reporting for duty. But my friends usually call me Kev.”

  “You-you’re Kevin?”

  Not often someone caught Sid off guard, but Agent Taylor had done just that.

  “Since the day I was born.” Her gaze traveled from Sid to him, then to Felicia and JD, who had entered the cabin while Sid floundered. “Kevilynn technically. But that’s a mouthful.”

  Sid rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I’ve made an idiot out of myself.”

  JD slapped him on the shoulder. “Nothin’ new there, amigo.”

  “Happens all the time.” Kevyn waved slender fingers in the air as if waving the awkwardness away.

  She might shrug off duplicity, but Dak couldn’t dismiss it so easily.

  More disturbing was how easily she’d lied. If she could lie about that, how could he trust a word she said? “Why the deception?”

  At least she had the decency to look chagrined. “I’d already worked up a profile on the drive over. He was raised in the South, with good Southern values, so it was likely he’d be predisposed to view women as less threatening. I needed a good feminine name, which Kevyn is not. Since his late wife was named Emma, I suspected Emily would form a subconscious connection. The fact that I’m blonde, just like Emma Esterson, only made it easier to gain his favor.” She lifted her gaze to hold his. “I’m sorry. I never meant to deceive you, but with bullets flying… well, there were more pressing issues than my name.”

  The team wisely remained silent.

  Probably because they all knew how Dak felt about dishonesty. “I still fail to understand why you thought lying was the right course of action.”

  Defiance flashed in her green eyes. “Every word I said was designed to bring this to a peaceful resolution. Giving him a name with a connection to his wife, keeping it casual, playing up the fact that I’m a woman, it was all very intentional.” She swept her hand across the space between them. “And it worked, didn’t it?”

  It did, but that didn’t automatically make the end justify the means.

  Dak sighed. This was not the way he wanted to start a new working relationship.

  “I am sorry.” Kevyn’s tone was softer this time. “Normally, I’d keep you in the loop, but like I said, things were moving too quickly this time around. I had to act.”

  He nodded. “Honesty is a big deal to me. I need to know I can trust you.”

  Holding his gaze with her own, she spoke slowly. “I will not lie to you.” Her gaze moved from him to encompass the rest of the team. “Any of you. I’m sorry for the way this played out, but I won’t apologize for my actions or methods. They worked.”

  Time to let it go. For now, anyway.

  Besides, maybe it was an isolated incident. Surely she didn’t act this way all the time.

  At least he hoped not.

  He’d need to review her file, which was likely waiting on his desk.

  As if sensing his acceptance, Kevyn smiled and turned toward Felicia and JD. “You must be Agent Green? And Agent Dominguez?

  Felicia smiled, dimples pricking her full cheeks. “We aren’t so formal around here. It’s Felicia. And JD.”

  “And Sid.” Sid interjected, drawing Kevyn’s attention back to him. “And the brooding hulk is Dak.”

  Leave it to Sid.

  “Brooding hulk? Is that what I am?” Dak pretended to be outraged, but Kevyn’s smirk proved she wasn’t fooled.

  Felicia giggled. “Well, you do kinda brood.”

  “I process. There’s a difference.”

  Movement outside the window drew his attention. An ERT uniform.

  “And it’s time for us to clear out and let the ERT do their job.”

  He found himself walking behind Kevyn as they disembarked.

  This team followed the rules. At least, they always had. Her blatant disregard for chain of command and procedures didn’t bode well.

  And he still needed to decide if he was going to report her or let it go.

  Well, he had the drive back to headquarters to pray about it. Good thing, too. He had a feeling he’d need that time and more.

  ₪ ₪ ₪

  “I’m so glad to have another girl on this team.” Felicia grinned at Kevyn as the elevator door slid open. “Sometimes all the guys with their macho attitudes can be a bit much.”

  Felicia’s smile was contagious and Kevyn couldn’t help smiling back. “I’m glad to be here.”

  And she really was. For so many reasons.

  “You like us and you know it.” JD nudged Felicia with his elbow.

  “It’ll still be nice to get away from all the testosterone.” Felicia shot back. “Speaking of, I wonder how long it’ll take Sid and Dak to get here.”

  When they’d left the boat, Sid was arguing with both Dak and the paramedics about being checked out. The knock he’d taken to the head made it a good idea, but Sid had been pretty set against it.

  Too bad for him, Dak had been pretty adamant, too.

  If Kevyn had to bet on one of them, she’d put her money on Dak. He seemed like a “my way or the highway” type of guy.

  “It’ll probably be a while.” JD nodded at Kevyn. “Gives you time to get settled in.”

  “Sounds great.” She fell into step beside them as they traversed the wide hallway. Doors, some open, others closed, lined both sides. “How long have you all worked together?”

  “Dak and Sid have worked together for years.” Felicia pushed her mahogany highlighted black hair behind her ear. “I joined them about five years ago. JD’s the newbie, with only a year under his belt.”

  “Newbie no more!” He grinned at Kevyn. “I officially pass that title along to you.”

  The hallway spilled out into a large open space with desks crammed into every corner imaginable. Narrow walkways wove between the desks, most of which were occupied.

  Five doors lined the wall on the opposite side of the bullpen.

  Likely supervisors’ offices. And maybe a conference room or two.

  She returned her attention to the desks cluttering the room. Which one was hers?

  She glanced over at her new teammates. “So did I replace someone?”

  Felicia shook her head, her glossy black and burgundy bob swishing above her shoulders. “No. There’s been such an increase in trafficking in Seattle that they added a new position.”

  “There’ve been a lot of additions lately.” JD’s voice was quieter than it had been in the hallway, probably to avoid disrupting the workflow. “Especially in the cybercrime division. They’ve probably added, what, five agents this year alone?”

  Felicia nodded her agreement. “Plus two in the white collar division. We’ve outgrown our space.”

  It only took a glance around the cramped room to see that Felicia was right.

  “Which is why…” JD turned to face her head-on, his dark eyes locking on her. “Your desk has been set up in Dak’s office.”

  Wait. She’d b
e working inside his office?

  Apprehension roiled in her gut.

  He’d been displeased with her earlier. Actually, mad was a better description. Working right beside him, in his space, could be super awkward. “Does he, um, know that?”

  “Sure.” Felicia’s smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Don’t worry. He seems gruff sometimes, but he’s a great guy. You’ll get along fine.”

  Yeah, as long as she followed the rules. It didn’t take a degree in psychology, which she had, to see that he was a total rule follower.

  She liked rules, too. As long as they made sense and fit the situation.

  Which they hadn’t earlier.

  “I’ll catch you guys later.” Without waiting for a reply, JD started navigating through the maze of desks and bodies.

  Felicia led her down the walkway on the outside of the bullpen.

  A wall of windows to her left afforded a spectacular view of the streets of downtown Seattle. Dark clouds lingered on the horizon, hinting that rain may visit them in the afternoon.

  Bring it on.

  After spending the last four years in the dry dustbowl that was Mesa, Arizona, she loved everything about Seattle. The tang of sea air, the gray skies, even the drizzling rain Seattle was famous for were all a welcome change. It depressed a lot of people and sure, she might get there one day, but for now she couldn’t get enough.

  It reminded her a little of home.

  They rounded the desk at the corner of the bullpen, then continued down the hallway, passing a darkened conference room before stopping outside the second door.

  A nameplate emblazoned with Dakarai Lakes was mounted to the right of the doorway.

  “How do you pronounce that?” Kevyn nodded at the placard and tried not to think of a fruity alcoholic beverage.

  Felicia grinned. “Not the way you’re thinking. It’s Dack-uh-reye.”

  The long “I” at the end sounded much better. “I imagine he gets that a lot.”

  “You have no idea. But he just goes by Dak. You call him Dakarai and you’re likely to get that brooding look again.” Felicia stepped inside and flicked on the light switch.

  A large cherry desk dominated the space directly in front of her, with a padded black chair behind it and two stiff backed, lightly padded chairs in front. Two computer monitors sat on the desk, a lateral filing system nearly hidden by the second one.